Safegaurding
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This should be read in conjunction with each School/Academy’s policies and Safeguarding documents.
Endeavour Academies Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children. As a trust, we believe that safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone who comes into contact with children, their families and carers. The term ‘child’ or ‘children’ relates to anyone under the age of 18 (Education Act 2002 and Children Act 1989).
All trust staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn and thrive. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child and fulfil their legal responsibilities to identify children who may need early help or who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. As a trust we recognise the need to understand the lived experience of the child and that their ‘voice’ is integral to our safeguarding processes.
All people working with children and visiting our premises must be aware that children may be at risk of harm or abuse. They have a responsibility to identify and report child welfare concerns and take appropriate action.
The trust and its schools recognise that some children have an increased risk of abuse, and that additional barriers can exist for some children with respect to recognising or disclosing it. We are committed to anti-discriminatory practice and recognise children’s diverse circumstances. We will ensure that all children have the same protection, regardless of any barriers they may face.
Oversight of Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies
The trust maintains oversight of safeguarding arrangements across its schools, through its governance framework, assurance framework and monitoring of its schools’ Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies.
Assurance Framework
Working in conjunction with the National Governance Association (NGA), the trust has developed an Assurance Framework which clarifies the safeguarding responsibilities and reporting arrangements for the different tiers of governance. Local Governing Bodies receive safeguarding information six times per year, which includes:
- Records and analysis of sexual harassment/sexual violence
- Records and analysis of referrals made to the DSL
- Records and analysis of pupils with open cases with Social Care
- Pupils taken off roll.
The Assurance Framework requires the Trust Board to have safeguarding as an agenda item 3 times per year, with these meetings having a specific safeguarding focus accompanied by a Safeguarding Report. This ensures a good exchange of information with Local Governing Bodies to Trustees and back to Local Governing Boards, ensuring key themes and trends are raised at all levels of governance.
Implementation of Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies and Procedures
Individual school/academy policies are monitored for compliance and reviewed through a Trust Policy Tracker. This was developed by the Trust’s Governance Professional, working in conjunction with the NGA. The CEO and CFO (Chief Financial Officer) monitor this half termly. As an additional measure this is also overseen by the Trust’s Finance, Audit and Operations Committee three times a year.
At Local Governing Body level, Governors review the updates to Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies, following the release of the latest KCSIE guidance (annually). The Safeguarding Trustee also reviews the policy cycle tracker at the mid-year point, and ensuring compliance with policies forms part of the annual safeguarding review as well as the external and internal auditing process.
The trust carries out an annual safeguarding review across its schools in the summer term. This is robust and designed to have the same rigour as an Ofsted safeguarding inspection. The most recent review was carried out by Safeguarding First. Prior to the external review taking place both schools carry out a detailed internal safeguarding audit.
These reviews culminate in a safeguarding action plan being created for the following academic year. This action plan then also can incorporate necessary changes to the KCSIE. guidance. This action plan is presented at the Trust Board (meeting 1) and progress against this reported formally at meeting 3 and meeting 6. At which point the following year’s safeguarding review has taken place.
Legal Framework
The Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies have been developed in accordance with the principles established by:
- The Children Act 1989
- The Education Act 2002
- The Children Act 2004
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) (September 2024 edition)
- Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
- Guidance for Safer Working Practice.
Responsibilities
All Trustees need to understand their safeguarding duties and should be kept up to date with legislation and regulation. The Trust Board has a legal responsibility to make sure that all of the academies within the trust have effective safeguarding policies and procedures in place and monitors the implementation of these policies regularly. The Trust Board will ensure this by:
- Ensuring that on appointment, all new Governors/Trustees/Members complete the National Governance Association’s ‘8 core modules’; one of which is ‘Safeguarding: How to Fulfil the Governance Role’.
- Identifying a named Safeguarding lead from the Board of Trustees.
- Trustees annually reviewing updates to the DfE’s KCSIE guidance and completing the accompanying NGA modules.
- Arranging annual safeguarding reviews for each school/academy.
- Receiving regular reports from the CEO on safeguarding to the Endeavour Academies board which will include details of the training undertaken by Trustees and Central Staff in relation to safeguarding.
- Delegating operational responsibilities to LGBs as defined below.
- Receiving and approving this safeguarding statement and the safeguarding policy once per year.
The LGB of each academy has appointed a named Safeguarding Governor who has lead responsibility for overseeing and monitoring all safeguarding issues in each academy.
- The LGB will ensure that the named governor for Safeguarding & Child Protection attends the required training including link governor training provided by the Trust Safeguarding Manager.
- Receive safeguarding information at each meeting – six times per year.
- Receive an annual Safeguarding Report and Action Plan based on the Annual Safeguarding Review.
Named Staff and Contacts
Endeavour Academies Trust
contact via: l.todd@macademy.org.uk